Smoking cessation behavior, nicotine addiction, and mental health among current smokers in Klang Valley, Malaysia- a cross-sectional questionnaire survey.

backgroundPoor knowledge of smoking-related diseases is a major concern as smoking is associated with an increasing trend in smoking-related illnesses globally and in Malaysia. Our study aimed to investigate the knowledge of smoking tobacco, smoking behaviour, nicotine use, willingness to quit smoking, and level of stress, anxiety, and depression among current and former smokers in the Klang Valley of Malaysia.

methodA cross-sectional study was conducted online from March 2023 to January 2024, using a structured, validated questionnaire. Individuals with a history of active or previous smoking and living in the Klang Valley region of Malaysia were included using a convenience sampling technique. The study instrument consisted of six sections with 56 questions using varying response types, to collect the data.

resultsOut of 395 respondents, the majority were male (n = 326; 82.5%), between the ages of 41 and 50 (n = 107; 27.1%). Around 183 (46.3%) had secondary-level education, 50% had an income below RM2000 (n = 210), and 57.2% lived with family members. The majority of the respondents (n = 327; 82.8%) knew or believed that smoking tobacco causes serious illness and were aware that smoking tobacco causes heart attack (n = 311; 78.7%), and lung cancer (n = 310; 78.4%). Despite knowing the consequences of smoking, the majority currently smoked (n = 273; 86.1%) and found it difficult to refrain from smoking in places where it is forbidden (n = 153; 38.7%). More than three-fourths are lived with smokers (n = 301; 76.2%), and half of them (n = 208; 52.7%) had attempted to quit smoking in the past 12 months but failed to continue. Women who smoke were about 4.5 times (AOR 4.48, 95%CI 2.06-9.76) more likely to attempt to quit, and individuals who reported seeing health warnings were 5.6 times more likely to make quit attempts. The participants exhibited varying levels of stress, anxiety, and depression, with 22.3% (n = 88) experiencing severe stress, 37.7% (n = 149) extreme anxiety, and 32.9% (n = 130) moderate depression.

conclusionsSmoking tobacco was common among the respondents, despite their awareness of the consequences. The inability to sustain quitting smoking was also prevalent and needs to be addressed promptly to help them successfully quit. Quitting smoking will enhance their physical, social, and psychosocial well-being and their overall health-related quality of life.